The United States has joined forces with South Korea, Japan, and eight other countries to form a new multilateral team aimed at monitoring and reporting violations of U.N. sanctions against North Korea.
This initiative, announced in Seoul by key diplomats including U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell and South Korean Vice Foreign Minister Kim Hong-kyun, arises in the wake of Russia’s veto that led to the end of the U.N. Security Council’s Panel of Experts, which had overseen North Korean sanctions since 2009.
Named the Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team (MSMT), this new group seeks to ensure the effective implementation of U.N. sanctions on North Korea, officially referred to as the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK).
The MSMT will publish detailed findings based on thorough investigations into violations and evasion attempts. In their joint statement, the member nations reiterated their commitment to uphold U.N. Security Council Resolutions regarding the DPRK while keeping the possibility for dialogue open.
U.S. and Allies Form New Multilateral Team to Monitor North Korean Sanctions Evasion After U.N. Panel’s Dissolution
The establishment of the MSMT is a strategic response to the challenges faced after the dissolution of the Panel of Experts. The coalition consists of nations such as Australia, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand, and South Korea.
During the inaugural meeting, representatives from the U.S., South Korea, and Japan expressed significant concerns over North Korea’s illicit arms transfers, cyber activities, and other efforts to fund its weapons of mass destruction programs.
A notable benefit of the MSMT is its potential for more effective operations compared to the previous U.N. panel, which often faced bureaucratic hurdles and disagreements among member states.
Former Panel of Experts member Maiko Takeuchi highlighted that the MSMT can conduct monitoring activities more efficiently as a coalition of like-minded countries. However, she cautioned that merely focusing on monitoring is not sufficient; there is also a need to help nations that North Korea might exploit due to their lack of resources or trained personnel.
The formation of the MSMT takes place against the backdrop of growing ties between North Korea and Russia, particularly since Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. There are rising concerns about North Korea’s potential military support for Russia, with reports of arms supplies and even the possibility of sending North Korean troops.
This new dynamic emphasizes the urgency of the MSMT’s mission, especially considering that the U.N. Security Council first imposed sanctions on North Korea in 2006 following its initial nuclear test, with subsequent expansions of these sanctions over the years.
